Two projects run by Assistant Professor Jessica Marie Johnson, Taller Electric Marronage and LifexCode: Digital Humanities Against Enclosure, have been awarded the 2020 Garfinkel Prize in Digital Humanities from the American Studies Association. The annual award recognizes excellent work at the intersection of American Studies and Digital Humanities. 

 The Garfinkel Prize in Digital Humanities is an award that honors caucus founder Susan Garfinkel for her longstanding service to the caucus and her commitment to an inclusive, interdisciplinary, welcoming Digital Humanities. Past winners include Matt Delmont’s “Black Quotidian: Everyday History in African-American Newspapers,” and Tara McPherson’s “Feminist in a Software Lab.”

 Taller Electric Marronage is a collective co-directed by Drs. Jessica Marie Johnson and Yomaira C. Figueroa (Michigan State University). The JHU Electricians are: Halle-Mackenzie Ashby, Kelsey Moore, Ayah Nurridin, and Lead Editor Christina Thomas. This prize is collectively awarded to all of the Electricians at JHU, as well as Jada Similton and Stephany Bravo at Michigan State University, and Sarah Bruno at University of Wisconsin.

Taller Electric Marronage at JHU is a LifexCode: DH Against Enclosure project. This prize was formally awarded to Founding Director Jessica Marie Johnson and Program Manager Christina Thomas, but was the work of many. LifexCode comprises members and affiliates throughout the country, including the following Johns Hopkins history department, History of Medicine, and Center of Africana Studies graduate and undergraduate students: Emma Bilski, Greg Smaldone, Ellie Palazzolo, Olivia Barnard, Maya Koretzky, and Georgia McFarland.  

Jessica wishes to thank the Program in Museums and Society (especially Jennifer Kingsley), the Sheridan Libraries (especially Sayeed Choudhry, Margaret Burri, Gabrielle Dean, and Heather Furnas), Jennifer Stanfield, and Megan Zeller who make these projects possible.